NBA Global:
Few
destinations in the world have basketball embedded into their cultures quite
like China, and now the world will again get a taste of its basketball energy.
Congratulations to the host of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup: China.
FIBA
made the announcement on Friday, after cutting its final list down to China and
the Philippines, famed for its passion for the game. International hoops'
governing organization then invited both countries to make their pitches --
focusing on four factors: (1) vision and concept, (2) experience in events, (3)
basketball history (4) cities and venues. China focused on its rich basketball
culture, modern media and facilities and its experience in hosting large events
(including the 2008 Olympics).
The
Philippines, adopting the role of underdog, played up its passion, its
state-of-the-art facilities and finally, its social media reach. In the run-up
to the event, Filipino fans bombarded twitter, making #PUSO2019 trend on
Twitter during the announcement.
China
trotted out Yao Ming, the NBA Legend who became the first Chinese player
selected overall in the NBA Draft. The Philippines, which hasn't yet had a
player break into the NBA, had actor Lou Diamond Phillips present, with Manny
Pacquiao in the crowd.
But in
the end, the bid went to the world's most populous country, home to more than
300 million basketball fans. Dating back to 1979, China's featured 18 NBA
preseason games, with two more on the schedule for this year, when the
Charlotte Hornets and LA Clippers meet in Shanghai and Shenzhen.
More and
more, China has been a must-see stop for some of the NBA's biggest stars. From
Mike Conley visiting the Great Wall, to Zach LaVine using his frequent flier
miles, and Paul George bringing the insider tips, China seems to be the go-to
spot to soak up passion for the game these days.
And in
2019, all the best players will have their opportunity to pay respects to one
of the world's biggest basketball centers.
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